Rabbits at the Fair

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 16sd replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 3 months ago by LBJ10.

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- 01/11/2014 at 11:23 AM
  rissakai007
  Participant
  54 posts
  In NH we have quite a few fairs during the summer and fall. Most of them have a lot of animals. This includes rabbits. Not usally ”livestock” or ”meat” rabbits but pets or barn buns. Many are usually for sale, some babies some adults. Others are not for sale. Among the mix I always notice amounts of rabbits with nails that are so long that they are actually curled over (usually if one from a particular farm or person whose name is on the cage then all of them are like this)!! I feel that it is anyone and everyone’s business how someone cares for their animals. There is usually at least one fair employee in the rabbit building. Should I report it next time? Or is it normal??? What should I say?? How have they not noticed this?
- 01/11/2014 at 12:13 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I don’t think these people have the same mentality about their rabbits as we do. I guess you could report it to the fair person but I’m not sure how much control they have.
- 01/11/2014 at 12:42 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17240 posts
  Long nails probably isn’t considered a crime. Unfortunately, as long as the rabbits are getting care that meets the minimum requirements under the law, then there isn’t much that can be done. Like Sarita said, you can say something, but they likely would not be able to do anything.
  
  If you see rabbits in very poor health, malnourished, etc then you may be able to report them for animal abuse/neglect.
- 01/11/2014 at 2:24 PM
  MoveDiagonally
  Participant
  2361 posts
  Are these rabbits from breeders? I know at my local fair they do rabbits shows, 4-H I think, and people display and sell their rabbits afterwards. I haven’t been able to set foot in the building they keep them all in since I’ve researched and started keeping rabbits… I would want to buy them all.
  
  If you want to get involved with improving the situation for rabbits in your community I would look for and reach out to rescues in your area. They might do community education or just in general work to make things better for bunnies. Volunteering is a great way to be involved.
- 01/11/2014 at 4:10 PM
  longhairmike
  Participant
  1069 posts
  just last year, AZ completely banned giving away any live animals as prizes or incentives.
  Luckily , sheriff Joe Arpaio hates animal abuse as much as he hates illegal immigrants.
- 01/11/2014 at 5:49 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7538 posts
  I would love to go to a fair and see rabbits. However if they aren’t cared for right I would be tempted to trim their nails myself. If they are shown in 4H competitions wouldn’t those nails count against them. You would think.
  
  Maybe the ones with the too long nails aren’t being shown. I hate this. That has to be painful.
  
  And I would want to take them all home to be cared for properly. I can’t take care of that many rabbits. 1 at best 2 at the most.
  
  As far as suggestions who is in charge of the bunny area?
- 01/11/2014 at 9:13 PM
  Eepster
  Participant
  1236 posts
  If they are being shown in competition, the judge probably already gave them an earful on the subject. If they weren’t being shown, then I’d report it to the local ASPCA.
- 01/11/2014 at 10:00 PM
  SamsMama
  Participant
  4 posts
  The ASPCA can’t do anything about it as long as minimum care standards are being met. Instead, I would maybe take down the owners information on the cage tag and try reporting them to the fair board or superintendent of the rabbit area.
- 01/11/2014 at 11:57 PM
  calipa_st
  Participant
  290 posts
  Posted By longhairmike on 01/11/2014 04:10 PM
  
  just last year, AZ completely banned giving away any live animals as prizes or incentives.
  Luckily , sheriff Joe Arpaio hates animal abuse as much as he hates illegal immigrants.
  
  I literally lol’ed at that illegal immigrant comment.
  
  I would like seeing rabbits at a fair, if they are properly taken care of. How bad of nails are we talking? I checked my buns nails tonight and was like, oh my gosh it’s been three months! his one nail got longer than I expected!
- 01/12/2014 at 9:45 AM
  Eepster
  Participant
  1236 posts
  Posted By SamsMama on 01/11/2014 10:00 PM
  
  The ASPCA can’t do anything about it as long as minimum care standards are being met. Instead, I would maybe take down the owners information on the cage tag and try reporting them to the fair board or superintendent of the rabbit area.
  
  True, but that doesn’t mean reporting it to the ASPCA is a bad idea. Especially if they are from a farm that keeps many animals.
  
  If the bunnies aren’t being well cared for in this regard, it’s possible there are other issues. With a complaint, the ASPCA can investigate and then take appropriate actions if it isn’t just the nails.
- 01/14/2014 at 5:15 PM
  rissakai007
  Participant
  54 posts
  The nails are so long that they actually curl over. Some curl so far around into a circle and past the beginning again. Several rabbits from several different people look like this. Their nails have clearly not been clipped for several months if not over a year. Some are 4-H and others are just apart of where a person walks around and looks at them during the fair and then awards ribbons on the last day. Not an official fancy show or anything. I’m not sure if they speak to them about it or not but I’ve seen this many times at different fairs. Next time I see it I will take pictures and report it to the ASPCA I guess. I know it’s nice to volunteer at places to help out. I am really looking for a solution to this problem, though. It is an issue… right?
- 01/14/2014 at 6:06 PM
  DaisyBunz
  Participant
  146 posts
  (It’s just terrible seeing rabbits for prizes at fairs – it’s a magnet for kids and generally speaking, rabbits don’t make good pets for kids.)
  If you’re talking about 4H bunnies, you know, the ones kids will show, then that rabbit is the responsibility of the child – therefore, any un clipped nails or unkemptness will cause the rabbit to be disqualified. They need to have perfect health and be cared for. I have no experience in 4H but I do know that.
  Meat or fur rabbits sold for a purpose(sad I know) will typically have long nails because nobody cares – the rabbit will be killed anyways and people have nothing to do with nail care.
  Fair bunnies are typically hutch bunnies, and usually people don’t socialize these bunnies enough to be able to cut nails. The rabbits are just too fearful to have their feet touched because they aren’t around people enough to know they won’t be hurt.(and who knows….they could be)
  I don’t know who you would let know, but I think a manager or whatever they call the person in charge at a fair wouldn’t care about bunny nails. I would, but some don’t think so.
- 01/15/2014 at 3:44 PM
  rissakai007
  Participant
  54 posts
  They aren’t prizes for anyone. The people who own the rabbits are awarded ribbons. They aren’t meat rabbit either. I do think that most of them are hutch/barn bunnies, though. I don’t understand why someone would own a rabbit and not spend time with it to the point where they don’t even find it necessary to clip their nails. It’s ridiculous!!
- 01/15/2014 at 3:47 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17240 posts
  That is strange. I mean, I would think that a neglected rabbit with matted fur and long nails would be disqualified. How are they judging them?
- 01/15/2014 at 4:06 PM
  rissakai007
  Participant
  54 posts
  I know. It’s so weird. Many of the rabbits are lionheads, lops, rexes, nethies, etc. I don’t understand what is going on. There is no practical explanation.
- 01/15/2014 at 4:18 PM
  rissakai007
  Participant
  54 posts
  I have no idea what they judge them on since it’s not a show or anything. Someone at some point walks around and looks at them and on the last day you notice some have award ribbons on their cages. I can’t remember well enough if any of the uncared for rabbits have ever had ribbons before.
- 01/15/2014 at 5:30 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17240 posts
  Hmm, if the “judges” don’t care, then I wonder how much fair employees would care. Perhaps you are better off just reporting it. Like the others said, even if they can’t do anything immediately (rabbits aren’t neglected “enough”), they will still be on notice.
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